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FINE-TUNING DAIRY RATIONS AT GRASS
 
Dairy farmers looking to counter a seasonal dip in milk butterfat level after turnout should concentrate on improving the feed fat profile of the milking cow ration and effective rumen buffering.
 
That's the advice from ruminant nutritionist Dr Alan Reeve from C&H Nutrition, who says that milk butterfat percentage falls by around 0.3 percentage points on average after turnout, but the drop can even more significant on some farms.
 
"If you are paid a premium for butterfat, it's important that you counter this traditional seasonal dip by fine-tuning the lactating ration," he says.
 
Dr Reeve recommends improving the fat profile of the ration. "Butterfat uplifts of around 0.3-0.4% have been consistently reported when a high C16 fat such as Energizer-RP10 is fed at 400g/head/day. Producers can also typically expect an extra litre of milk," he says.
 
Dr Reeve points out that once cows move onto lush green grass, the long fibre content of the ration drops. At the same time, the high sugar content of freshly grazed spring grass makes the rumen more acidic and both these factors combine to reduce milk butterfat level.
 
"Failure to maintain optimum rumen pH in cows at grass is a major drag on performance," he points out. "The rumen works at optimum efficiency when the pH level remains steady over time in the range 6.0-6.5. Any variation in this range will reduce the activity of the rumen bacteria, particularly those responsible for fibre breakdown and butterfat production will be adversely affected." He suggests producers talk to their nutritional adviser about the buffering capacity of the whole ration and to consider supplementing early summer grazing diets with an effective rumen buffer, such as Alkakarb, if required.

NEW SLURRY ADDITIVE CAN CUT FERTILISER BILL
 
The ability to boost manure nitrogen content by 6kg/cow/year and cut the fertiliser bill by over £5/cow is the significant benefit from a new, natural mineral-based product that can be added directly to slurry.
 
Viscolight is a powder-based additive with the potential to increase slurry nitrogen by 300g/tonne. It will also improve manure handling considerably, claims UK distributor C&H Nutrition.
 
"Viscolight breaks down hard crusts and improves slurry nitrogen content by slackening and binding free ammonia. The end result is a higher value fertiliser and more homogeneous slurry that flows better making it much easier to handle," says product manager Jessica Hassall.
 
"As well as promoting a more fluid mix of sediment and floating layers in the slurry storage tank - cutting the time and diesel costs of agitation, pumping and spreading - the natural additive will also reduce manure and dirty water odour by up to 50%."
 
Jessica Hassall says Viscolight can be easily added to the slurry - either via the reception pit, channels or slats, or directly into the lagoon or storage tower. "The mixing rate is as little as 20g/tonne of slurry, which for a 100 cow herd equates to an annual product requirement of only 40kg per year. "
 
C&H Nutrition calculates that even after the cost of Viscolight, a 100 cow herd can expect to be around £250 better off as a result of savings on the fertiliser bill. New to the UK - but widely used successfully in Denmark where it is also approved for use on organic farms - Viscolight is available through the agricultural merchant trade and further details are available on 01928 793090.

C&H NUTRITION STRENGTHENS RUMINANT TEAM
 
FEMAS-approved feed trade marketing partner C&H Nutrition has strengthened its ruminant team with the appointment of Jessica Hassall as business development assistant.
 
According to Dr Alan Reeve, Jessica joins the business at an exciting time as it continues to develop its expanding and varied product portfolio, which includes the successful Energizer rumen protected fat brand.
 
"Since graduating from Harper Adams University College in 2002, Jessica has developed valuable ruminant feed sector product management and technical skills. She will focus on existing customer support, as well as work closely with our pan-European parent company Azelis to assess UK market opportunities for a range of new ruminant nutrition and health products," he said.

NEW COST BENEFIT INDICATOR HIGHLIGHTS THE POTENTIAL MILK PROFIT
FROM A C16-DRIVEN YIELD AND BUTTERFAT BOOST
 
Dairy farmers can now evaluate the financial payback from including C16 rumen-protected fat in the early lactating cow ration, thanks to the availability of a new spreadsheet-based computer program from C&H Nutrition.
 
The new Cost Benefit Indicator (CBI) program draws on a database of the different milk contract payment terms to predict the potential extra margin per cow that producers can make by including Energizer-RP10 in the ration.
 
According to C&H Nutrition business development manager Dr Alan Reeve, milk output responses to Energizer-RP10 are relatively predictable, depending on dietary inclusion level. The program uses this predictability to calculate the net financial gain over cost of inclusion for a cow yielding 30 litres a day, depending on the current milk contract terms.
 
"For example, we know that we can typically expect an extra 1.1 litres of milk and a 0.4% uplift in butterfat from an Energizer-RP10 feeding rate of 400g per head per day," Dr Reeve explains. "But the question all milk producers want answered is how much financial return they can expect over and above the cost of adding the fat to the ration. Obviously, this depends on their milk buyer terms, but by running various feeding scenarios against the contract payment parameters the CBI program will give them a profit prediction."
 
Dr Reeve points out that even with base milk price running at the mid summer levels of around 18-20p per litre, Energizer-RP10 was delivering a financial payback on virtually all milk contracts paying a premium for butterfat. But with base prices on some contracts now climbing to over 25p per litre, the CBI program predicts extra milk value of around 24p per head per day from those paying around 1.5p per % of butterfat, even after the cost of Energizer-RP10 is taken into account.
 
"Clearly, the value of this extra milk is significant," he points out. "If your contract is advantageous, feeding Energizer-RP10 could easily deliver an extra £3,600 to a 100 cow herd over the first 150 days of lactation. That's over a 40% increase on the Energizer-RP10 margins that could have been achieved earlier in the year."
 
Milk producers interested in evaluating the profit from feeding Energizer-RP10 should contact their local supplier, or call C&H Nutrition on 01928 793090. A simplified version of the CBI program is also available on the company's website at www.chance-hunt.com/nutrition

NEW RUMEN PROTECTED FAT UNVEILED AT 2007 DAIRY EVENT
 
 
UK dairy farmers now have access to a portfolio of rumen protected fat products under the respected Energizer brand produced only from fully sustainable Malaysian palm oil sources.
 
C&H Nutrition will be launching Energizer Gold at the 2007 Dairy Event, explaining that the new product is a competitively-priced, high quality calcium soap made only from fresh palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD).
 
"We're introducing Energizer Gold to complement the proven high C16 Energizer-RP10 product prized for its ability to consistently deliver yield increases and high milk butterfat. Energizer Gold is formulated specifically to plug the energy gap in early lactation cows - promoting yield and minimising the loss of body condition," explains C&H Nutrition's business development manager Dr Alan Reeve.
 
"Energizer-RP10 remains the versatile, high value fat fit for cows - developed to give the highest possible energy value from a protected fat product with low rumen solubility and high small intestine digestibility. It has a selected saturated fatty acid profile, designed to give it the richest palmitic acid (C16) and lowest stearic acid (C18) content of all the protected fats available on the market. It is also highly palatable and can be fed at high levels without compromising dry matter intake," he points out.
 
Further details on the Energizer Gold and RP10 products, together with advice on where each product fits within different milk production systems, will be available on the C&H Nutrition stand (637) in Cattle Shed 12.

FEMAS ACCREDITATION FOR C&H NUTRITION

C&H Nutrition has gained FEMAS (Feed Materials Assurance Scheme) accreditation for the sourcing, storage and distribution of its range of animal feed ingredient products.

According the C&H Nutrition business development manager Dr Alan Reeve, achieving FEMAS accreditation is further recognition of the company’s ability to offer full feed product assurance and traceability to all its stakeholders.

“FEMAS accreditation supersedes our UFAS accreditation and better meets our business needs. Previously, UFAS only allowed us to trade in feed products that were ‘source assured’, but now that all the relevant staff at C&H Nutrition have received training in the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) we are able to widen our assurance scope. This allows us to assess critically the risks associated with all the feed products we market – from manufacture right through to delivery to our customers,” he says.

“It means we are able to provide a high quality service to our UK feed market customers, as well as offer an effective and trusted route to market for potential suppliers for whom the feed market is non core.”

GUARD AGAINST WET STRAW IN LAMBING SHEDS

Shepherds gearing up for lambing this season must counter the potential hygiene threat from damp straw bedding by using an absorbent bedding conditioner with added disinfectant.

Dr Alan Reeve from C&H Nutrition says any straw that was baled wet last autumn could still be harbouring harmful bacteria that could be a threat to young lambs.

“Lambs are born with no natural immunity to disease and only gain protection through the colostrum they take from the ewe. Consequently, the lambing environment must be as clean and dry as possible,” he says.